6o 



The National Geographic Magazine 



because the soil, climate, and other con- 

 ditions are favorable to people of small 

 means. Eighty-seven per cent of the 

 2,400,000 inhabitants are engaged in 

 farming, and there is no country in 

 which the land is so equally distributed, 

 for there is one farm to every eight in- 

 habitants. Fruit culture is the largest 

 source of profit. The prunes of Servia 

 are the most popular and bring the high- 

 est price in foreign markets. All other 

 kinds of fruit are grown and preserved, 

 and grains, vegetables, and dairy prod- 

 ucts are shipped in every direction. 

 Flocks and herds are large and multiply 

 rapidly, and the people are always pros- 

 perous except when a war or a revolu- 

 tion is on. 



Belgrade, the capital, lies upon a 

 promontory where the river Save joins 

 the Danube. The modern part of the 

 town is quite attractive; the ancient 

 part, built centuries ago, during the 

 Turkish dominition, is picturesque. 

 The modern streets are wide and lined 

 with fine buildings after the Austrian 

 style of architecture. Some of the 

 school buildings are excellent samples 

 of modern constructien and show an 

 educational enterprise that is creditable 

 to the country. There is a compulsory 

 education law, free schools, and free 

 books; a number of academies, schools 

 of commerce, agriculture and fruit cul- 

 ture, and a university with four hun- 

 dred students. The government sup- 

 ports a museum, an art gallery, and a 

 theater for the encouragement of native 

 dramatists and opera writers. At the 

 extreme point of the promontor}', rising 

 abruptly from the river to a height of 

 400 feet, is a citadel erected by the Ro- 

 mans before the time of Christ. The 

 castle is in an excellent state of preser- 

 vation, is used for a prison, a barracks, 

 and a military school, and is the head- 

 quarters of the army. There are no pau- 

 pers in Servia, and therefore no alms- 

 houses, but there is a free hospital for 

 both military and civilian patients, 



which is well kept up. The Bourse is 

 a fine building, also erected by a French 

 ■ architect, and reminds you of the mod- 

 ern structures of Marseilles and Havre. 

 The fever of speculation is as great in 

 Servia as anywhere, and exciting scenes 

 are happening frequently on the Bourse, 

 particularly when political disturbances 

 occur. 



The ancient part of the city has re- 

 mained unchanged for centuries. The 

 walls of the citadel were built by the 

 Romans, and stand as they left them, 

 after having sustained the attacks of 

 hundreds of armies and some of the 

 most famous sieges in history. 



The political crisis in Servia just now 

 is caused by the lack of a baby. In the 

 absence of a natural heir the constitu- 

 tion of the country requires the King to- 

 designate his successor, and the neigh- 

 boring powers are endeavoring to assist 

 in the selection. The daughter of the 

 Servian cattle dealer reached the throne 

 by a series of sacrifices and intrigues- 

 more sensational than often occur out- 

 side of fiction; yet she is not happy, 

 and never will be until she is socially 

 recognized by the other roj^al houses of 

 Europe, to whom this clever adven- 

 turess is offering the throne of Servia_ 

 as the price of such recognition. Ne- 

 gotiations have been going on for a 3^ear 

 or more with Russia. Queen Draga 

 promises that the King will proclaim 

 Prince Mirko, of Montenegro, heir ap- 

 parent, provided she and her husband 

 are invited to spend a few da}'s in Rus- 

 sia as the guests of the Czar; but the- 

 Czarina, who is a pure woman, has ab- 

 solutely refused to receive her. 



Prince Mirko is a brother-in-law of 

 the King of Italy, and two of his sisters 

 have married Russian archdukes. He 

 was educated at St Petersburg, is a. 

 great favorite of the imperial family, 

 and Queen Draga could not have se- 

 lected a candidate more agreeable to- 

 them or satisfactory to the other powers. 

 Furthermore, another of his sisters mar- 



